Timber conservation problems of the Nepalese pagoda temple

The following discussion of timber conservation issues of the Nepalese pagoda temple focuses on: 1) roof repairs, failure, and rebuilding; 2) general seismic reinforcement issues and oportunities to utilize historical timber structure; and 3) the restoration of lost timber carved art in the context of Nepal's living culture. This paper is a summary of projects and research presented during the recent ICOMOS conference which visited 5 of 7 restoration projects in the Patan Darbar World Heritage Site here discussed. All projects have been developed, funds raised, and have been implemented by the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust in cooperation with His Majesty's Government Department of Archaeology.